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Online Video Program Lets Public Speaking Students and Teachers Upload, Evaluate Lessons
Wadsworth Cengage Learning has introduced Speech Studio, an online video upload and grading program for higher education students enrolled in public speaking courses. The company said Speech Studio gives students a secure, private online location to upload videos of practice speeches. Those files can be accessed by them, by their instructor, and by classmates from anywhere.
For instructors, Speech Studio provides various methods for sending evaluations. There is a library of "quick comments," for example, or teachers can embed their own comments directly into the videos. A time marker tool allows instructors to comment on specific points in the video, while hyperlinks take the student to the precise moment in the video to which the comment is applicable.
Instructors can also create courses and assignments and grade student speeches, with a library of comments and grading rubrics consistent with National Communication Association standards. Speech Studio has an integrated gradebook for course management, and those gradebooks can be exported into other learning management systems. In addition, it provides methods to allow teachers to track student progress.
The company said Speech Studio can be used in traditional classroom settings, online courses, or hybrid class formats. An instructor teaching a traditional class can conduct practice sessions and peer review work online. Online and hybrid course instructors can capture, grade, and review videos of live class performances and simulate an in-class experience for online courses.
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Denise Harrison is a freelance writer and editor specializing in technology, specifically in audiovisual and presentation. She also works as a consultant for Second Life projects and is involved with nonprofits and education within the 3D realm. She can be reached here.